MOST HELPFUL POSTS

[deleted account]

I am with those who say it should be her choice whether or not to make a permanent change to her body. Unless you come from a culture in which all babies' have their ears pierced I think it's important to let them decide for themselves when they are older.My girls would both probably have had trips to the ER multiple times if we had pierced their ears because they fiddle with everything, tear everything apart and put everything in their mouths. Everything.

My older girl is six now and I got some stickers in the scrapbook aisle at the craft store that are little round rhinestones. I let her stick them on her ears for special occasions. They're perfect as a substitute for real earrings and when she starts fiddling and pulling them off or putting them in her mouth, I just toss them and don't let her have them again for a while. It's teaching her to treat jewelry in a proper way.

Don't want to put her through unnecessary pain for myself and cosemetic purposes.

Don't want to alter her body without her permission.

Would like her to make the decision herself to get them pierced and have something to look forward to as a right of passage.

Oh, and my step daughter's mom did hers when she was a baby and had nothing but problems with it. She kept pulling them out and yanking on them. She had to take them out and got them repierced recently when she was 3.5 years old. I still think that's too young.

I had my ears pierced at 13 and I had to beg my mom to do it, my daughter is 13 and she has no interest in doing it but if she ever asked I would do it. I have worked in a store where I pierced ears and it was HORRIBLE to pierce a babies ears it is incredibly painful and unnecessary they don't understand why they are having to go through the pain and plus keep them clean so they don't get infected is a chore you don't need right now. Wait until they are old enough to want to do it and then make sure there are two piercers on duty so they can do it at the same time it is quicker and easier that way.

205 Comments

View replies by

Rebecca - posted on 06/24/2011

21

21

1

well with my first daughter her father and i took her to have them done when she was 9 or 10 months she is now 12. im now remarried and have another daughter i would like to do it but daddy says not until she can ask for it.. i got mine done when i was 15. my father wouldnt allow me to before then. he still didnt want me to but he told me i knew right from wrong and to do what i thought i should. my christan man who did not belieave in jewlery..

My mom did not let me get my ears pierced until I was twelve. I think it is safest to at least wait until they are in the fourth grade. Recess and earrings do not go together. What ever you choose, make sure they are just studs for the first few years.

I had both my daughters ears pierced when they were @ 3-4 months old. As far back as they can remember, the earring were just a part of them and I never had any problems changing earrings. They are 21 & 19 now and have never had any problems with them. The 21 yr. old now has double piercings and cartilage piercings, while the 19 yr old rarely wears earrings. Different kids, different personalities!

No. I was allowed to have my ears pierced when I was 13 if I wanted to. I think it needs to be my daughter's decision when she is old enough to decide. We will probably allow her to at 13, as well, if she wants to.

I got my daughter's ears pierced at 6 months. My husband wanted it to be her decision until I reminded him that ALL girls want to have their ears pierced, some are just afraid to! I was 8 and I was terrified. I wanted my wee one to have no memory of it. I also wanted to have them done when she was too little to really fiddle with them, risking infection. Babies can't do that but little girls do! It was short and sweet and she cried for less than 30 seconds. We are all glad we did :)

both my girls had their ears pierced at age 3. (I had mine pierced at age 4 way back in the 1950's!)The idea is that before school, but after they are old enough to understand not to tug at them. Circle sleepers are also far better than studs - I know they are expensive, but they are worth every penny!

I got my daughters ears pierced when she was 6 months old because she had no hair and I thought it who help people to know she was a little girl. I also wanted to give her pretty things and earings were just one thing I wanted her to have,

I got my daughters ears pierced at 6months old...she cried for a few minutes. Then after that she was fine, never had any infections as long as you take care of her ears. Although she has lost 2 pairs of earings b/c of I think she messed with them too much and loosened the backs off. other than that she gets so much compliments.

I really wanted too, because those baby earrings are so darn cute, but I did decide against it. I didn't want her to hurt herself and because it isn't my body. when She wants them done I will let her..,but no sooner

Yes! When she turned 3 and she was fully potty trained. It was because she was such a big girl now. She wanted to have earrings, but I told her she had to make all her poops in the potty and she could get them, like a big girl. She was successful for several weeks before she turned 3, so we did it when she was 3. There have been no issues since and I feel good about it since it was her "choice"

I had my daughter done when she was 1year old. She hardly flinched and we had no problem with infection as she didn't keep touching them. At about 10 she stopped wearing earrings for a while, but now that she has turned 13, has just started wearing earrings again and the holes were still there. It's really just a personal choice, but compared to other friends who did their girls ears later, I seemed to have had a much easier time with it all.

I first did it at 6 months and it was a mistake! She screamed and cried wouldn't look at me for about 20 minutes. She was mad! When she was around 1, she started taking them out, and I would constantly find them in her crib so I decided to let them close up. I then vowed to never subject her to the pain unless she wanted to. At around age 6, she wanted to pierce them, so we went and it was a much better experience. It looks cute on babies but it's not necessary so why put them through the pain?

No, my husband and I have always agreed that any modifications to her body should be made by her choice. When she is old enough to ask to have them pierced and clean them properly on her own, I will gladly take her.

I personally get so sad when I hear a baby crying when it gets its ears pierced. They must think they are being punished or made their parents mad. I'm not going to cause my child intentional pain if it is not for health or similar reasons. I did make the decision to circumsize my son, which some people may say is comparable, but I did it for health reasons and so he wouldn't have to deal with any teasing later on. Earrings don't have anything to do with either of those reasons. I just could never do it.

My girls have had to wait until they are 11 years old. That way they are old enough to handle the responsibility. Also it gives them something to look forward to. Finally in a world that is trying to grow up our girls too quickly, we need to make a stand as moms. They grow up too quickly let them enjoy childhood as long as possible.

I let my daughter get her ears pierced when she was in 5th grade, so she would have been 10 or 11 then. The only thing I would do differently if I had it to do over, is I would have taken her to the doctor's office to have it done instead of Claire's. She got an infection and ended up on antibiotics.

Sure did. We did it at home after she asked everyday for 5 months straight at 2. She loves them and she had almost no tears when she got them done. She has never messed with earrings and loves to look at ones she doesn't have in. But it was here decision.

I grew up in Brazil and all baby girls get their ears pierced before leaving the hospital (so did I). My daughters were born in the US so I didn't go out of my way to do it when they were babies, so when my oldest turned 6 she asked to have them pierced, so her and her 5 year old sister got it then. I wish I had done it earlier but they were so close in age I didn't want to add more stress to my life caring for their piercings when they were still babies.

No, I believe in letting her make her own decisions when it comes to her body. If she wants them when she's older and can take care of them then yes but it will be her choice. I was 7 when I got mine done. I still have wholes but barely wear earrings.

I took my daughter to the doctor when she was 9 months to get her ears pierced, but the doctors office had run out of earring. I figured it was a sign she shouldn't have them pierced. Then when she was 4 she started asking if she could get them pierced so we wen to the store and she changed her mind. At 5 she wanted to try again. She asked me to get mine pierced first and I did and she did. She loves having them pierced. And I enjoyed doing it with her together.

When she was 7. I wanted her to be old enough to be responsible for taking care of them. I considered having them done when she was an infant, but she was one of twins and i had enough to do to take care of two babies :-)

I got my 2 daughters ears pierced when they were babies. They are 39 and 41 now, but I think they were about 2 or 3 months old when they got it done. I have 4 grand daughters, and they were about the same age when they had their ears pierced. I think when they get them done as infants, they are less likely to play around with them, so there is less chance for them to get infected. Besides that, they look so cute with the little studs. I think they all had tiny pearl studs.

I have 3 girls, and did them all at 6 months at the pediatrician. It was quick, and my doctor was very good. I nursed them right afterwards, and they barely cried. I had mine done when I was 5, and I remember it hurt like hell. I wanted to do our girls when they were so small, they would not remember at all, and I could take care of their ears for them. It's really up to you, and your decision unless you want to wait until your child can make up their own mind. But you will still be helping them keep their earlobes clean until the holes clean, at any age. Otherwise, you will have problems with infection, etc.

No...they have the same rule I had when I grew up. Once they turn 13 they can decide if they want to get them done. Maybe a little sooner, but we will see. I don't feel right making the choice for them and then they are stuck with holes in their ears when they don't want them.

My oldest daughter wanted it done so we got her ears pierced a few years ago - I think before she went into grade 3. She hated having her ears pierced. She took the earnings out within a few weeks and refused for me to put them back in. She decided that she is going to wait now until she is a teenager. My youngest daughter who is just finishing Kindergarten completely agrees with her sister. It really depends on the child but I know that I will not force them and I am competely fine with them waiting until they are older.

I love reading these replies. Some are just ridiculous. Sorry to say. My daughter got her ears pierced when she was 6 months old. She looked absolutely adorable. She did great with them. She had little earrings with a tiny little hole. It was so fast she didn't even cry. She is 7 now. She has about every earring out there. Again...I don't see what the big deal is.

First daughter was 2 and second one at her 1st birthday...they both looked really cute. I think most of my friends with girls in the UK have them done before they go to school which is in Sept. before their 5th birthday. And they never made a fuss or cried so it doesn't hurt much and as for mutilation..think it's a bit strong...mutilate makes things ugly..earings make girls pretty..or am i a bit old fashioned? lol.

I have no daughter of my own, but my mom got mine pierced when I was five. My hubby says his sister got hers at 2. I have a friend who got her daughter's done at about a year old. I think 5 is a good age. She could pick out the earrings she wants and the people who do it (the service is usually free when you buy the earrings) are very gentle with children.

I have a little fella however, if or when I have a little girl I am completely against ear piercing for babies. I don't understand how parents justify putting their babies through pain for something cosmetic. When she's older and can make a logical decision .. Then okay.. But not when they can't even say no.

I personally don't have girls but I do ear piercing. I find that as painful as it is for me to pierce babies, it is easier for them. They don't remember it, and they heal so much easier. You really don't have to take them out unless you want to change them. Piercing studs are hypoallergenic which means they are nickel free which is what generally causes allergies. You clean them while they are in the ear with a good antiseptic or sea salt water and turn them once a day for the first few weeks as they heal. Little is really required and babies usually keep there hands off them like older kids that play with them with dirty hands.

Yes we did, but we waited until she finished kindergarten, She got perfect attendence so that was a reward because she had wanted them for a really long time. She was old enough to take care of them by that time also.